Former Dean of Music returns to BU to share stage with internationally renowned chamber music quartet

January 21, 2016

The Fine Arts Quartet has entertained audiences worldwide, and will visit Brandon University on Sunday to perform with former Dean of Music Michael Kim. (Courtesy of Fine Arts Quartet)

BRANDON, Man. – The Brandon University (BU) School of Music’s pro series will shine the spotlight on some old friends on Sunday afternoon: Former Dean of Music Michael Kim returns to the Lorne Watson Recital Hall stage with the Fine Arts Quartet.

“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to return to Brandon and perform on the pro series with my longtime musical colleagues, the Fine Arts Quartet,” Kim said. “It will be wonderful to perform again in the world-class Lorne Watson Recital Hall!”

The Artists-in-Residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Fine Arts Quartet has evolved and changed personnel over its seven decades of existence, all the while teaching up-and-coming musicians and entertaining audiences worldwide.

This pro series concert will take place on Sunday, at 3 p.m., in the Recital Hall, located in the Queen Elizabeth II Music Building. Tickets will be available at the door or in advance at the School of Music main office. They are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, students and BU alumni, and $10 for Conservatory students.

Opening the program is Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131. It was composed in 1826 at a time of great change in the composer’s approach to writing. As an important figure straddling the classical and romantic periods, Beethoven proved to be a pivotal agent of change. This late work is an example of this as he helped to pave the way for future transformations of the quartet form by launching seven sections with a fugue. Until then, classical quartets comprised of four movements.

The second work is Dvoràk’s Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81, which the composer created in 1887 while on a sojourn in Bohemia. One of the prevalent traits in his music is the infusion of folk music elements, and this quintet hints at a “borrowed” ballad and a Bohemian dance.

“The Dvoràk has been on my ‘to-do’ list for a while and occupies a very special place in the piano quintet repertory, combining classical form, Czech folk idioms and dance in one unique entity,” Kim said. “It will be delightful to collaborate once again with the Fine Arts Quartet, one of the gold-plated names in chamber music.”

The next pro series presentation will feature Polycoro, a Winnipeg-based choir. That concert will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m., also in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall.

On Monday, May 16, the pro series presents violinist James Ehnes. Tickets for this recital in the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium are specially priced at $25 for adults, $20 for students, seniors and alumni, and $15 for Conservatory students. These tickets are not included in the pro series subscriptions and must be purchased through the WMCA box office.

The School of Music gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of Manitoba, through a Consolidated Arts Programming Grant through Culture, Heritage and Tourism.

Please note that seating in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall is limited and that programs are subject to change. For an up-to-date listing of pro series and student performances, please visit brandonu.ca/music/events/category/performances/.

Brandon University, founded in 1899, promotes excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship, and educates students so that they can make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders.